Jayhawk Debate Institute and its staff

The Jayhawk Debate Institute year after year has one of the finest staff of debate coaches and instructors you will find anywhere in the country. Here is a list of just a few of the great staff members. Check back soon for new additions.

Matt Cormack is a recent graduate of the University of Kansas where he compiled an impressive list of accomplishments. In Matt's clllegiate career he was an octa-finalist at CEDA nationals and the NDT. Matt has won numerous speaker awards at national tournaments and was third at Harvard in 2005. Matt also completed in both the Darmouth and Kentucky Round Robins. As a coach, Matt has helped coach the winners of Kansas 5A State Debate Champions and qualify teams to the NFL naitonal tournament.

Gabe Murillo debated for Wayne State University, he was the top speaker at many national tournaments in 2007 including the National Debate Tournament. He was the 2007 championof the American Debate Assosiations National Finals, a two time semifinalist at the NDT, semifinalist at the 2007 CEDA, and champion of Henry CLay Debate Tournament at the University of Kentucky. Gabe is currently as assistant coach of debate at Michigan State University and has coached high school teams to success at local and national levels, including two state championships, teams qualifying to the TOC, and late elimination round participants at many national tournaments. Gabe has worked at summer institutes at Michigan State and University of Kansas for several years.

Lindsay Lathrop graduated form the University of Kansas in 2007. She debated for Blue Valley Northwest and the University of Kansas. While in college, she debated in the octa-finals of the NDT and in the outrounds of CEDA each year, earning a speaker award during her senior year. Lindsey coached for Blue Valley North High School from 2005-2007 leading her a team to a quarterfinal spot at NFL nationals. She was a lab leader during the 2006 JDI camp and coached her lab to first place in the 2 week tournament. She currently works for the Capitol Debate League in Washington DC and is an active mentor of women in the society.

Kelly Winfrey has been involved in policy debate for over 14 years, beginning with a successful career as a high school debater in Missouri. After high school, she debated for Emporia State University where she completed in elimination rounds at many regional tournaments and was a triple octofinalist at CEDA nationals. As an undergraduate, she also volunteered as a coach at her former high school, Raymore-Peculiar high school, qualifying a team to Missouri State Tournament. She has also worked with students at several summer institutes. As a graduate student in Communciation, Kelly has taught at both Missouri State University and University of Kansas. As a debate coach at Missouri State University, she coached debaters that qualified for the National Debate Tournament, including one team receiving a First Round - at large bid.

Brett Bricker has coached for two years at Shawnee Mission East High School, and has led a lab at the JDI and the Spartan Debate Institute. As a debater, he has been top speaker at debate tournaments held at CSU Fullerton and Darmouth. In 2007, he was a quarter finalists at NDT, and a semi-finalist at CEDA. This year he competed in the finals at Harvard, the semifinals of CSU Fullerton and USC, and the quarterfinals of Kentucky and Wake.

Mick Souders has been an assistant debate coach at the University of Kansas since January 2006 and previously coached at Georgia State University and Eastern New Mexico University. He qualified for the NDT and outrounds at the CEDA National Championship multiple times and was on the first team from Seattle University to attend the NDT. Mick's past two J(E)DE labs have produced a 5A Kansas State Chamipon, several NFL & CFL qualifiers and elimination round participants, two NFL top ten speakers and two TOC qualifiers.

Martin Osborne has coached the Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart high school debate team for two years. He has worked at the Kansas camp three times, the University of Missouri Kansas City camp three times, Michigan State and Wyoming. In high school he qualified to the TOC and placed 7th at NFL nationals. He (will) has recived a first round in college debate, and has been awarded multiple speaker awards, including top speaker at 2007/2008's Kentucky tournament. He likes the Allman Brothers Band.